Max Headroom: Killer Instinct
by ElegantButler
Summary: When a murder and its tragic reason are uncovered, Network 23 faces its darkest hour.
1. Chapter 1: One Dead - One Missing

Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future  
Killer Instinct

-Chapter One: One Dead, One Missing-

Edison Carter was used to seeing Metrocop vehicles and ambulances. They were often a part of the stories he covered as Network 23's ace reporter. He did not, however, like seeing them at Network 23. They put him on edge, especially after the Security Systems incident. After all, they were too eager to make an arrest and rarely checked their facts before doing so. There was one cop he liked, that being the one who had ignored the printing press hidden under the Fringes. Other than him, Edison had every little positive opinion of the breed.

There was a single ambulance and two Metrocop vehicles askew in the road outside Network 23 as he drove up with Martinez.

"Aw man," Martinez complained. "This doesn't look good, Edison."

Edison had to admit that his chopper jockey was right. Ambulances and police at your office were never a good sign. And when the ambulance was toting a corpse under a blood-soaked sheet, that made your day even worse. At least it appeared to be a full-sized body, so that ruled Bryce out as a victim.

"What happened?" Edison asked.

The paramedic drew back the sheet, revealing Network 23's newest Board member, John Parker. The man was clearly dead. Deep gashes were carved into Parker's face and neck, leaving him almost unidentifiable. His nose had been nearly sliced off, one eye was mutilated, and his mouth was gashed into the shape of a garish scarecrow.

"You know this man, Mr. Carter?" he asked, covering the corpse.

Edison shook his head, grateful to have the gruesome sight covered once again. "Not very well. We met yesterday in the car park. He dinged my fender."

"You ever get the road rage?" a cop asked as he approached. It was not the one who had ignored the printing press. In fact, it wasn't one Edison recognized at all.

'New cop,' he thought to himself, 'probably eager to look good to his superior officers. Better be cautious with this one.'

"I doubt that Edison Carter would kill a man over a dinged fender," the paramedic scoffed. "Anyhow, this didn't happen in the car park. The body was found in the lift."

"Oh, god..." Edison sounded ill. If some psychopath had cut up John Parker with a razor in the lift, then that meant whoever it was had been inside Network 23. And that meant that Bryce was also vulnerable.

Edison ran inside and sped up every stairwell leading to Bryce's lab. Throwing open the door to the thirteenth level, he saw droplets of blood on the hallway floor. He was already running at what he thought was his top speed, but somehow he managed to go even faster. He saw that the door was wide open and ran inside. He checked every room of the lab-apartment. There was blood on the bathroom walls and floor, and several items had been knocked off the sink and the edge of the tub, but found no sign of Bryce.

"What the hell happened here?" Martinez asked, catching up with Edison. "Looks like..."

"Please, don't say it," Edison begged. "Not here. Paddy's death was bad enough. If anything has happened to Bryce. Martinez, we have to find him. With this much blood, he must be badly hurt. I doubt whoever took him cares enough to get him to a medical center."

"We'll find him," the chopper jockey reassured the ace reporter.

"God, I hope so," Edison said, anxiously.


	2. Chapter 2: Jenny's Secret

-Chapter Two: Jenny's Secret-

Across town at Network 66, in the studio lab that paralleled Bryce's in every way (except that it was occupied by a girl), Jenny Wilcox paced like a tigress on caffeine. She could hardly believe what she had seen. Never in a million years had she ever dreamt that such a thing might take place.

She had decided to call Bryce. To plead with him to attend the college Reunion/Think Tank once more. He had turned her down the last time. But she had decided that she would be damned if she would take 'no' for an answer and had called him.

What she saw on the view screen almost made her scream out loud. She covered her mouth, however, and  
disconnected the call before she could be seen. She was one of the smartest graduates from ACS, equal to Bryce in her test scores. But she had no idea what she should do now.

A strong part of her wanted to pretend that none of what she had seen had happened. But she couldn't do that. She was Bryce's alumna and counterpart. If he needed her help, class honor demanded that she do what she could. But what could she do? Well, there was always the excuse that she worked for a rival Network. That the rules said they couldn't play together any more. But that was a lame excuse and she knew it.

What she had seen had started at the bathroom door, but she could tell that it had begun in that small room, out of her range of vision. What had caused it, she did not know. But it had been the stuff that nightmares were made of. Terrifyingly violent. Fearing for her own life, she had switched off the set. Now she was wondering if she should call the cops.

"This is Alice Reynolds Network 66 at the Network 23 skyscraper. Sources tell me that less than an hour ago, this Network's newest employee turned up dead in one of the building's lifts. Mr. Carter, I assume you are also investigating..."

Jenny turned off the set. She had seen the Metro vehicles and ambulance. She didn't have to worry about that vu-phone call after all.


	3. Chapter 3: Uncovering Terror

-Chapter Three: Uncovering Terror-

"I take it you saw," Edison said to Theora as he hurried into the control room.

"It's horrible," Theora nodded. "Edison I hope Bryce..."

"So do I," Edison agreed, cutting off what he didn't want to hear. "See if you can get a securicam file of his studio. I need to know who was there when this happened."

Theora entered the codes for the files in question into her computer. "Nothing. Somebody deliberately wiped those files. Let me see if I can locate any copies of them with a wide sweep." She entered a new set of codes and frowned. "Nothing. But there may be hope yet. Seems that Bryce got a vu-phone call at about the same time. I'll see if I can put a trace on it."

"You think whoever called might be a witness?"

"It's a possibility, Edison," Theora's eyes widened.

"What's wrong?" Edison asked.

"The call came from Network 66."

"Why would Bryce be getting calls from Network 66?" Edison asked.

"Network employees aren't supposed to contact those who work at rival networks unless they're reporters on the job," Murray added, joining them. "This is going to be very interesting."

Theora tapped in the number on the trace. She half-smiled when she saw the girl on the screen.

"I take it you're one of Bryce's former classmates?" she asked, unthreateningly.

"I am," Jenny replied. "Jenny Wilcox. Miss Jones, I know why you called me."

"Then you saw what happened in Bryce's studio."

"Some of it, but not all," Jenny replied.

"I need to know who kidnapped Bryce and where they took him," Edison said over Theora's shoulder.

Jenny frowned and reached for the disconnect.

"Jenny, please," Edison stopped her. "If you care about Bryce as much as I think you do, at least as a former classmate, then help me find him. You know he's hurt. You know he needs help. Please..."

"It's not what you think, Mr. Carter," Jenny said, darkly, as she disconnected the call.

Edison and Theora exchanged puzzled looks. Murray's eyes, however, widened as a possibility struck him.

"No." he told himself. "No that can't be right. He'd never..."

"What?" Edison asked.

"You can't mean..."

Murray redialed the number and waited with patient anxiety.

"Please..." Jenny said. "I can't..."

"Miss Wilcox, a simple yes or no will suffice," Murray said. "Did Bryce kill Parker?"

Jenny paled and was silent for a moment. When she spoke, her word was barely audible. But it hit Edison like a scream.

"Yes."


	4. Chapter 4: Flight to the Fringes

-Chapter Four: Flight to the Fringes-

Bryce Lynch wasn't sure how he'd managed to run as far as he had. As his specialty was computers and television, he knew very little about the human body, so he did not know that it had been an adrenaline rush that he propelled him for the last several miles.

What he did know was that he hadn't been really paying attention to where he was going. Having just killed a man in a fit of blind rage, something he had never considered before John Parker had re-entered his life, he had panicked. Now he was somewhere in the Fringes that surrounded the city. But which part he could not say. He had no idea if he was near Blank Reg, or Blank Bruno, or indeed anyone who could or would help him.

Edison wouldn't help him now. Bryce was certain he'd seen the events that had taken place in the main room of the studio. That he'd seen Bryce lash out with the razor, striking Parker's face more times than even Bryce himself could recall.

"I had to," he panted. "I had to do it. I had to."

"Had to what?" a familiar voice asked.

Bryce looked up and saw his old SysOp (which is what teachers were called at ACS) standing over him. Despite the fact that he had just been hoping to find him, panic welled up in him and he took off again.

"Bryce!" Blank Bruno called out, giving chase. "Wait! Why are you running away from me? Stop. Tell me what's wrong?"

They ran until Bruno had cornered his former pupil in an alley.

"You wouldn't understand," Bryce panted in fear. "I didn't have a choice. Cheviot took that away from me when he hired that fucking bastard John Fuckhead Parker ."

The Fringer raised an eyebrow. Bryce almost never swore, so the fact that he had just dropped the F-Bomb twice out in the open could only mean that the shit had just hit the fan.

"Bryce, deep breath. You're working yourself into a panic. Calm down." Bruno said. "Tell me what happened between you and this Parker fellow?"

"What happened? WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"Calm down," Bruno repeated.

"I killed him," Bryce said, slumping against the wall. "I killed him because I had to. I was all set to relax in the bath after a very long day at work. I thought Cheviot had listened to me and hadn't hired that ..."

"Bryce..." Bruno warned, not wanting any further swearing from the irate teenager.

"jerk," Bryce substituted. "I thought I'd be safe taking a nice bath. But I wasn't. Not by a long shot."

"Why didn't you want Cheviot to hire Parker?" Bruno asked. "Did you know him from before?"

"Parker had a criminal record," Bryce explained. "Guess what kind?"

"Sex offender," Theora guessed as she neared him along with Edison.

"He was released just recently," Bryce explained. "The metrocenter has this new program. They pair up newly released cons and felons with potential employers. Its supposed to break the cycle of crime or something like that. Problem is, they let the cons have a say in where they are placed."

"And Parker requested Network 23 to get to you. But why?"

"At first I thought he just wanted to kill me," Bryce admitted. "But I was wrong. He also wanted a repeat of his past performance."

"Please tell me he didn't rape you!"

Bryce nodded.

"But if he did that, why would Cheviot..."

"That didn't happen at Network 23," Bryce explained.

"How old were you when..."

"I was eight," Bryce said, burying his face in his hands as the first tears since that terrible night flowed down his face.

Theora didn't care that Bryce had just killed a man. That man deserved it a far as she was concerned. She hurried over to the sobbing genius and hugged him.

"We have to help Bryce," She told Edison and Bruno.

"We will," Edison promised.


	5. Chapter 5: Conflict of Interest

Chapter Five: Conflict of Interest

Cheviot collapsed into his chair in the Boardroom back at Network 23. Those who were already there knew about Parker's death, though none knew who it was who had killed the man or why.

"Carter's late," Ashwell pointed out.

"He's probably already off investigating the murder," Cheviot pointed out. "Get Bryce online. I need to go over that research report he handed in yesterday with him."

"We don't know where Lynch is, sir," Lauren told him. "I tried to contact him when I got in to say 'good morning' and he wasn't in. You don't think he was also killed, sir?" there was fear in her voice as she spoke. Bryce was only sixteen, after all. It was bad enough when an adult was killed. But a teen, even one who was technically an adult, or a child being killed was two hundred percent worse.

"I hope not," Cheviot said. He contacted the control room. Instead of Murray, one of the controllers answered the call. "Where's Murray?"

"He and Carter's team left about fifteen minutes ago, sir."

"Tell him to call me as soon as he gets back," Cheviot replied, hanging up as soon as he'd finished. He returned his attention to the rest of the board. "Last nights ratings look good. However, our three to five a.m. block ratings were only thirty one percent higher than Network 66. Let's hear some suggestions on how we can improve that."

"Murray," the controller told him as the producer of the 'What I Want To Know' show returned along with Edison Carter. "Cheviot's been looking for you. I think it's about the Parker murder."

"Great," Edison groaned.

Murray picked up the phone and contacted Cheviot. "Sir," he said, praying that the controller was wrong.

"About time you showed up," Cheviot scolded. He knew Murray had probably been in the field with Edison. But appearances and discipline were necessary when one was the chairman of the board. "I want you and your team to find out who killed John Parker last night."

Edison frowned and shook his head. Cheviot noticed this and raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason you don't want to investigate this murder?"

"It would be a conflict of interest," Murray explained.

"You mean Bryce killed him," Edwards guessed, having been present when Bryce had begged Cheviot not to hire Parker.

"Don't be ridic..." Cheviot began. But the look on Murray's face told him that Edwards was right. "I don't believe it. Bryce isn't a killer. There must be some mistake. Bryce is one of the most docile teenagers I've ever met. He's a kitten, not a mountain lion."

"Kittens have claws, too, Mr. Cheviot," Lauren pointed out.

"It was self-defense," Edison assured them. "Though I suspect a touch of revenge was mixed in. How could you hire that man? You know what he did to Bryce in the past!"

Cheviot looked crestfallen. "I knew what he did, yes. But I didn't know Bryce was one of his victims. Bryce didn't tell me."

"But to hire a sex offender in a building where a teenager is sleeping!" Edison argued.

"On a level that isn't even listed or supposed to exist," Cheviot countered. "How the hell did he find out about level thirteen."

"Bryce believes he requested Network 23 in order to get at him a second time."

"Did Parker...?" Cheviot began, but could not finish.

Part of Edison wanted to refuse to answer. He wanted to give Bryce a little privacy. But Bryce's privacy was a small price to pay for his exoneration. He remembered the blood on the floor in Bryce's bathroom as well as that one the wall. That must have come from Bryce being injured at the time of penetration. The thought made him ill. "Yes. He raped Bryce. Or at least started to. Bryce fought back this time."

"I see," Cheviot said. "Mr. Carter. I know it's hard to confront a friend, especially in a situation like this. But you must remember what you are. And what you are is this network's best reporter."

"If we interview Bryce the metrocops will be on him like wet on rain. He'll be arrested and have to stand trial. And you know that as Network 23's employee, he cannot be tried by our network courts. He would probably stand trial at Network 66 or World One. Network 66's courts would chew him up and spit him out just to make for the opportunity to make us look bad."

"I'm sorry, Edison," Cheviot said. "And I'm sorry for Bryce. But this network made a promise to always be truthful to its viewers, and that is what we're going to do. You will cover this incident and you will do so to the best of your abilities. Who knows, it might be your interview that turns the jury to Bryce's favor."

"Yes, sir," Edison agreed, a dark look in his eyes.


	6. Chapter 6: Hard Choices

Chapter 6: Hard Choices

It was the most difficult decision Cheviot ever had to make in his life. Bryce was his youngest employee and he felt almost like a grandfather to the young genius. To complicate matters further, it was his own fault that Bryce had been placed the situation that had caused the young genius to make such a lethal choice. Nevertheless, it was a choice which Cheviot had to make. Picking up the vu-phone he paused. He could simply not call. Just stay out of it. But that might hurt Bryce even worse in the long run. The sooner it was over for him the better. He didn't want Bryce to spend a lifetime on the run. No, it would be easier on him in the long run if he went to trial as soon as possible. Hoping that this was really true and that he wasn't just trying to ease his own guilt, Cheviot phoned the Metrocops.

"I have information regarding the death of John Parker." He told them, a look of heartache on his face as his spoke as the rest of the board looked on with pity for both Cheviot and their youngest coworker.

While this was going on, Bryce was getting dressed at Edison Carter's apartment. He'd put on a bathrobe as he fled from his studio, but otherwise he had been completely naked. Theora had bought him some new clothes at a shop nearby as well as a new pair of sneakers. While putting them on, he noticed for the first time that he'd got a small piece of glass in the pad of his foot just under his big toe. He winced and gave a cry of pain when Edison extracted it. Theora got a band-aid and some cotton and put them on the small wound to cushion it.

Bryce was just putting on his shoes when the Metrocop knocked on the door. The cop shook his head with pity. Cheviot had explained what he'd known to him. The boy was well within his rights to defend himself. Duty, on the other hand, demanded that the young genius be taken into custody pending the outcome of his trial.

Edison checked his apartment's security screen. He recognized the cop as the one who had ignored the printing press. Knowing that he would not ignore Bryce's presence, he turned to Bryce who correctly interpreted the look on his face.

"Cheviot turned me in," Bryce said, his face paler than a ghost. "Edison! I can't go to jail! I'll die of a panic attack in there! Please!"

Edison nodded to Murray to let the officer in. He knew the man would not harm Bryce and had decided, as Cheviot had, that a swift trial was better for Bryce than a lifetime of anxiety on the lam.

"Edison! Please!" Bryce begged, tears welling up in his eyes.

"He won't hurt you," Edison reassured his youngest friend. "I know this one. He won't put you in jail. Will you?" he asked the cop who was now in the room with them.

The cop shook his head. Then he turned to Bryce. "I do have to arrest you, that is my job. However, due to the circumstances surrounding the event, you won't go to jail. However, you will be brought to juvenile hall and will remain there pending the outcome of your trial. Look at the bright side," he added, sympathetically. "You might even make a friend or two there."

Bryce scampered behind Edison. "Edison, please?"

"Can't he be remanded into our custody?" Theora asked.

"I'm afraid not," the Metrocop apologized. "But if it makes you feel any better, he will be allowed visitors. And I'm going to take him to the Westford Juvenile Detention center. That's the safest and cleanest one in the area."

"The staff are very nice there, too," Theora told Bryce. "Shawn spent a couple years there after he ran away from the state home he and I were in when we were in our teens. Bryce, it won't be easy, but you'll be okay. And we will visit you."

"I'll ride in the back of the car with you," Edison offered. "That is okay, isn't it?"

"It's not permitted," the cop said. "But I think I can bend the rule just this once."

"Thank you, Edison said, as he guided Bryce, who could barely walk for all the trembling he was doing, out to the Metrocop's car.


	7. Chapter 7: Westford

Chapter 7: Westford

Bryce kept his face buried in Edison's chest the during the ride to the detention center while Edison stroked his hair and muttered reassurances to him.

The Metrocop glanced at them in the mirror. This kid wasn't a ruthless cold-blooded killer. He was just a kid who had been defending himself against a man who should never had been let out of jail. He felt more than just a twinge of pity. For a brief moment, he considered setting Bryce free. In the end, he knew what his duty must be. He did not stop until the car reach the Westford Juvenile Center.

Westford was located in the suburbs just before the Fringes. The parking lot was free of clutter. Edison suspected that the teens in residence were at least a part of the cleanup crew. He got out of the car and helped Bryce to his feet.

A group of teenagers were sitting on a nearby bench, chatting animatedly. Another group was playing with a remote control car, it's members building a variety of ramps which they would then attempt to make the little vehicle leap over.

"We encourage activities which create and bolster friendships and positive attitudes," explained the woman who approached them. "My name is Lisa Andrews. I'm the activities coordinator here. Mr. Lawrence will be with us momentarily to do your intake..."

"This is Bryce," Edison told her. "He's a bit upset at the moment."

"The Metro station called and relayed the situation to us, so I understand completely. It's a terrible tragedy, to have so much and then face losing it because of something like that."

She looked at Bryce, wanting to turn his face to meet hers, but know that after the attack he would probably not appreciate being touched in even the gentlest way by a stranger.

"Bryce? Can you look at me?" she asked instead.

Edison nudged him encouragingly. "It's okay, kid."

Bryce turned to face Ms. Andrews. She looked kind and that made him relax just a little.

Ms. Andrews took a cloth from her pocket and offered it to him. "Your glasses look like they could use a bit of cleaning."

Bryce accepted it and cleaned the away the stains from his tears that had smudged the oversized lenses of his spectacles. He offered it back when he was done, but Ms. Andrews shook her head, so he put it in his own pocket.

"As you can see, we encourage outdoor activity. However, that is not all this center is about. If you'll follow me, I'll show you some of the indoor things we have to offer."

"Do you have a computer and connection?" Bryce asked as he and Edison followed her inside. "As Network 23's head of research I..."

"Don't worry about that right now, Bryce," Edison said. "You need to concentrate on dealing with what's happened to you. Max will take over as head of research and development until you get back. You've got enough of your own problems to work with right now. You don't need someone else's complicating them."

"In other words, I'm fired."

"No. You're on hiatus until this matter is resolved," Edison corrected him.

"We do allow supervised computer access," Ms. Andrews explained. "But clients are only allowed to use it in order to prepare for their trials or to study for their diplomas if their still in high school. And they're only allowed an hour per day in order to prevent any one person from monopolizing it all day."

Edison wondered how long it would take Bryce to get used to such an arrangement after a four of unlimited access to Network 23's entire mainframe preceded by two years at ACS. Of course, the boy would be occupied by other things, most prominently his upcoming murder trial.

"There you are," a man in his seventies approached them. "I'm Mark Lawrence. I'm the director of the center. You must be Bryce Lynch?"

"Yes," Bryce replied.

"Welcome to Westford," Mr. Lawrence said. "I take it Ms. Andrews has been going over the various activities our center encourages. She can show you more later. Right now, I have to go over a few personal things with you and also explain the rules. The rules are quite simple; no fighting, no smoking, food is only to be eaten in the dining area or kitchen at designated meal and snack times. This includes food brought in by friends, which is discouraged but not disallowed. We clean up after ourselves. Cleaning supplies for the bathroom are kept in a locked cabinet to be asked for after each shower. As for the personal things we have to deal with, we know that you were raped which is what led to the killing of Mr. Parker. We've arranged for you to meet with a counselor twice a week to help you deal with the incident. Her name is Leona Harris. She's a psychologist who specializes in helping teens who are dealing with physical and sexual abuse. You'll be seeing her on Mondays and Thursdays after breakfast."

"That's good," Edison told Bryce. "You're going to need help with that. Especially after so many years being trained to quell your emotions."

"I suppose so," Bryce decided. He really didn't want to talk about what Parker had done to him, but if Edison thought it was a good idea, then he guessed he could put up with it.

"We'll be having lunch in an hour," Mr. Lawrence said. "Most of the paperwork is already filled out. I just need you to go over it and sign it. Then I'll show you to the cafeteria."

"I guess that means it's time for me to go," Edison said, apologetically, to Bryce. "I promise I'll do everything I can to see you get a fair trial. Until then, listen to these people. They're trying to help you. Especially your counselor."

Bryce watched him depart, wondering only briefly how he intended to get back home.


	8. Chapter 8: Awkward Meeting

Chapter 8: Awkward Meeting

The paperwork was as brief as promised. Afterwards, Mr. Lawrence brought Bryce to the cafeteria. There were about twenty teenagers there of both sexes. Bryce judged the oldest to be about nineteen while the youngest appeared to be fourteen.

"Go ahead and grab something to eat. You won't get another chance after this until Afternoon Snack which is at three and I'm sure you must be famished."

Bryce didn't answer, but he did get in line for the meal, which turned out to be a slice of pizza with a small salad.

"You're new here," the girl just ahead of him observed.

"Yes," Bryce agreed. "I just got here half an hour ago. Bryce Lynch."

"Alison Parker," the girl introduced himself.

Bryce flinched. "Parker?" he asked darkly. It had to be a coincidence. The name Parker was rather common after all. Just a coincidence. But what if it wasn't.

The girl frowned, her darkness matching Bryce's. So much for coincidence. Bryce turned away from her, not really wanting to talk to a relative of the man who was the reason he was stuck in this place.

Alison frowned herself. She guessed immediately why Bryce wasn't speaking to her. John Parker was, indeed, related to her as Bryce had wondered. It was a fact that had lost her quite a few potential friends and she hated that. Didn't they realize that he had molested her as well? Maybe they assumed she had never spoken of it. That it was her fault that they had been hurt. Why hadn't her parents believed her? At least she had gotten rid of those horrible things he sometimes used on his victims. The entire bedroom had burned as a result and they'd nearly lost the house. But she felt her parents deserved to lose their home after what they allowed to take place in it.

Bryce moved along quickly in the line as if trying to increase the distance between them. But Alison decided she would be damned if she let her worst relative lose her another potential friend.

"I'm not my uncle," she hissed at him under her breath. "I really wish people would stop judging me by his behavior. I was also a victim of his."

Bryce didn't look at her, but his posture seemed to relax a little.

Alison sighed. She guessed that it might be possible to befriend this newcomer if she worked at it.

Bryce collected the rest of his meal and sat down at a nearby table which was occupied by two boys who seemed to be about sixteen and fourteen, and a girl of seventeen.

Alison considered sitting with him, but decided not to. If she was going to prove to him that she was nothing like John, then the first step was to not force her presence on him. She would let me warm up to her the way her first grade teacher had taught her class how to make friends with the new kittens that were born to the stray cat that lived by the school, many of which found new homes that week.

"Laura Peller," the seventeen year old girl introduced herself.

"Any relation to Simon Peller?" Bryce asked.

"Third cousin," Laura replied. "I'm the black sheep of the family. They all supported his campaign. I'm here for trying to sabotage it. One of my friends is a Blank and my asshole cousin had her arrested for no reason."

"Careful, Laura," the younger of the two boys warned. "You've already paid twenty credits to the jar this week."

"The jar?"

"It's not in the official rules," the older boy explained. "But we have a little jar that we have to pay into every time we swear. Laura here is practically our local hero. Last week she paid so much we all went on a field trip." he and the other boy laughed while Laura blushed.

A look of recognition hit Laura. "You work at Network 23, don't you? I thought I recognized you. I've seen you there when I was forced to go to one of my idiot cousin's stupid speeches. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Three credits, Laura," a passing staff member commented.

Laura ignored him. "Well? What are you in for?"

Bryce wondered what they would think of him when they learned he was a murderer. No, he reminded himself. It was self-defense not murder. Either way, he had killed somebody. He doubted they'd want to be friends with him if they knew that. Not that he needed friends. He had Edison's team back at Network 23, after all.

"What? Did you kill someone?" the older boy asked, laughing at his own joke. When Bryce looked down at the table rather than at him, his eyes widened. "You did kill someone?"

"Self-defense," Bryce muttered.

"And you wound up in here," the younger boy said, as if he didn't quite believe Bryce.

"Bureaucracy," Laura explained with a tone of sarcasm. "What would the world be without it?"


	9. Chapter 9: Before Group

-Chapter 9: Before Group-

Bryce left the cafeteria after lunch and went directly to his room and flopped onto the bed that had been designated as his for his stay at Westford. "Don't take forever getting me out of here, Edison."

The rest of the clients at Westford moved the chairs in the cafeteria so they formed a two-ringed circle.

"Where's the new kid?" Mr. Lawrence asked.

"I think he went to his room for something," Laura said. "I'll go fetch him."

"No," Ms. Andrews said, an idea forming in her mind. "Miss Parker, why don't you go? It'll give you a chance to show him that you're not like your uncle."

"I think I'd like that," Alison agreed. She stood up and headed to the door.

"He's rooming with Terrence," Mr. Lawrence informed her.

"You put a techie in with a jock," Alison shook her head. "That's going to be very interesting."

"I'm hoping they can learn from each other," Mr. Lawrence explained. "Where is Terrence by the way?"

"Bathroom," said a Japanese boy named Toshi Riku (he preferred the traditional Japanese naming convention). He played with a strand of pink and blue fringe (most of his hair was traditionally black and short, with the brightly colored fringe falling to the base of his neck) and started to braid the two colors together.

"He should be here in a couple minutes, then," Mr. Lawrence said.

As they talked, Alison went to Bryce and Terrence's room to retrieve Bryce. She hoped that despite the old saying she would get a second chance to make a good first impression. She was nearly there when she heard what sounded like an argument.

"Next time you decide to play mother and put my clothes away for me, don't," Bryce complained. "I can do it myself. I'm not a two year old."

"Well, you're certainly acting like one, now," Terrence pointed out. "I try to help someone and this is the thanks I get. It's not like a stole anything."

"And if I did the same thing to you?"

"I'd have the decency to say 'thank you',"

"Group," Alison called to them from the doorway, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Psht," Bryce scoffed. "I know your kind. Jocks have sense of decency."

"My I remind you, in case you need a new prescription for your glasses, that I am twice your weight and nearly a foot taller than you and that I can..."

"Before you go any further with that threat," Bryce hissed, "I suggest you ask what I'm in here for."

"Bryce!"

Bryce turned to the door and saw Mr. Lawrence standing there. The man had an cross look on his face. "I will not tolerate threats of violence in this establishment, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Bryce said, following it with an unintelligible mutter that Mr. Lawrence was certain rhymed with 'duck plaster'.

"Care to contribute to the jar, young man?" Mr. Lawrence challenged.

"Can I set up a tab?" Bryce retorted.

"Group is waiting for you," Mr. Lawrence told him. "Let's go."


	10. Chapter 10: Group

-Chapter 10: Group -

Bryce and Terrence accompanied Mr. Lawrence to where the rest of the clients were waiting.

"Bryce, you've already met Terrence, Alison, and Laura and her lunch buddies."

"We didn't properly introduce ourselves," the younger of Laura's two friends admitted. "I'm Jacob."

"And I'm Sam," the other added.

"There isn't enough time to introduce everyone properly in one group, so for now, let's just everyone give their names. Don't worry if you don't remember everyone right off. This is just a quick introduction. He turned to Riku. "Why don't you start?"

"Toshi Riku," the Japanese boy introduced himself. "Riku is my given name, in case you were wondering."

"Ralph Chance," a slightly obese boy who seemed to have a little Irish blood in him added.

"Vincent Lorren," the youngest boy said, adding "yes, my parents did see 'House on Haunted Hill' a million times. And these two quiet ones are the twins, Mark and Marilyn Green. Don't take it personally if they don't talk to you. They only speak to each other."

"Bast Ambers," the oldest girl introduced herself.

"Short for Sebastian," the boy next to her explained. "She's my big sister. I'm Kevin."

"Who the hell names a girl Sebastian," Bast rolled her eyes. "They could've at least given it a girl-type spelling."

"Can we get on with group?" Terrence growled. "I'm sure Mr. Hotshot Genius..."

"My name is Bryce Lynch," Bryce grumbled, in response.

"I thought it was Rich-Kid Snobworthy," Terrence countered.

"Better than Jock Van Steroid," Bryce shot back.

Terrence stared at him with his mouth agape for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.

Bryce looked at Terrence as if a bird had decided to nest in his hair.

"Anyone who can come up with a comeback like that can't be all bad," he said. "Sorry about before. Name's Terrence. But everyone calls me T-Bone/"

"Good to meet you properly at last, T-Bone," Bryce smiled, relieved that his feud with his roommate appeared to be over. "I'm sorry, too. I guess having my entire world turned upside down got me a bit upset."

"It usually does," Riku sympathized. "Hey, you two. I need a couple more people for cleanup duty. It's mandatory for everyone once a week. What do you say? Get it out of the way early?"

"Okay," Bryce agreed.

"Great," Riku told him. "We start fifteen minutes after Group is over."

"Now, that that drama is over," Mr. Lawrence told them. "Bryce why don't you tell everyone about yourself?"

"You go ahead," Bryce said. "If I do it, it'll sound like bragging."

"Okay, then," Mr. Lawrence explained, "Bryce is a graduate of ACS and employed by Network 23 as head of their research department."

"So why are you here then? Marilyn asked.

Bryce didn't want to go over the incident with this many people listening.

"Let's just say for now that I had a problem with a new employee."


	11. Chapter 11: Dismissal

-Chapter 11: Dismissal-

"What?!" Theora exclaimed about a minute after Edison had returned to Network 23 from Westford.

At the same time that Mr. Lawrence was telling the others at Westford that Bryce was employed as the network's head of research and development, Cheviot had been pulling that rug out from under him.

"Damn you!" Edison slammed his camera down on top of Theora's control desk for emphasis causing the image of Cheviot that appeared on the vu-phone screen to wince briefly.

"That's an extremely expensive camera," the chairman pointed out.

"Damn your camera. You can't fire Bryce!" Edison said. "I promised him his job would be available when he came back,"

Cheviot glared at him. In his mind, however, he was silently pleading 'please figure it out, Edison.'

"Sir, when Bryce gets out, he'll have no place to go. He won't survive in the Fringes. Not even if he stays with Blank Bruno."

"Bryce should've considered that before he decided to become a murderer," Cheviot hoped to God that they would see through the charade he was playing for the sake of the security cameras. That they would understand the truth he could not tell them. That he wasn't dismissing Bryce because of what he had done. Not exactly anyhow.

"How do you think he's going to react when I tell him?" Edison wanted to know. "He'll think..."

"You're not going to tell him, Mr. Carter," Cheviot assured his top reporter. "I am. I don't want him associating you with this information when you go to interview him in two days."

"Interview him?! Are you barking? You think he's going to do an interview with Network 23 two days after you fire him?"

"I hope so," Cheviot said. "So I expect you to get ready with some good and tough questions."

"I'm not going to ram this interview down his throat," Edison argued.

"I don't expect you would," Cheviot said. "Just be careful not to go too easy on him, either."

Disconnecting the call, Cheviot put his coat on and turned to the rest of the board. "I will be back in an hour." he told them.

Stepping into the same lift where Parker's body had been found by a night janitor, he saw that there was still a small stain in the corner. He wondered if it would ever wash away. What, he wondered, about the stain on Bryce's soul?

The lift stopped at the level of the car park where his vehicle was located. He got out, walked to his car, and got in. After a moment, he started the car and drove to Westford to give Bryce the news of his dismissal. He just hoped Bryce would understand why.

Bryce wasn't fond of picking up the trash that passers-by seemed to enjoy tossing onto Westford's basketball court.

"Don't they have someplace better to hurl their garbage?" he asked, putting more of it into the bag he was carrying.

"They think we're trash because we're in juvie," Riku explained. "So the figure trash goes with trash."

"Half of us who are in here landed in this place because of those hypocrites," T-Bone told Bryce

A passerby tossed an empty Zik Zak juice pack directly into Bryce's bag with a cheerful "He shoots! He scores!"

It brought a small laugh to Bryce's lips which was fortunate, since the occupant of the vehicle pulling up was about to spoil the rest of his day.

"Nice car," T-Bone muttered.

Bryce followed his gaze. His eyes widened with hope. It was a Network 23 company car. Was it possible that they had come to get him? Was his nightmare, nice as this part of it seemed to be, finally over?

Cheviot got out and went over to Mr. Lawrence who was standing outside supervising the clean-up. "Would it be possible for me to have a moment to speak with Bryce Lynch?"

"He's on clean-up right now," Mr. Lawrence explained. "He'll be done in about ten minutes. Why don't I show you around while you're waiting?"

"I have a dinner meeting with Ped Xing in half and hour," Cheviot said. "I need to see Bryce now."

"Very well," Mr. Lawrence waved at the three boys. "Bryce! Two minute break."

Bryce set his bag down and went to join Cheviot.

"Sir?" he asked hopefully.

Cheviot couldn't bear to see the look in Bryce's eyes, knowing that he was about to crush that hope. He turned, instead, and watched Riku and T-Bone as they continued to clean up.

"I'm afraid I have to let you go," he said.

Bryce felt something inside himself shatter. How could Cheviot do this to him? Except for the time he'd almost been drawn away to Network 66 with the promise of doing his own show when he had been childishly angry at Cheviot for confiscating his pet parrot, Bryce had been a loyal employee of Network 23 for years. "Why?"

"I think you know why," Cheviot said, hoping that Bryce did know his true reason.

"Yeah," Bryce retorted, "I think I do. You set me up from the very beginning, didn't you?"

"What?" Cheviot asked. This wasn't going the way he'd planned. Didn't Bryce realize that Cheviot's dismissal of him meant that he could be tried at Network 23's own court? That he would no longer risk being tried in a network court that sought to destroy both Bryce and Network 23?

"That's why you hired that ... that..." Bryce slapped Cheviot across the face as hard as he could. "Go home, Ben." he growled. "Don't bother coming back."

Mr. Lawrence hurried over and restrained Bryce, pinning his arms behind him.

"No need," Cheviot told him. "I just gave him some bad news and it upset him. I'll go," he added to Bryce. "When Carter arrives day after tomorrow try to remember he had nothing to do with this."


	12. Chapter 12: Games and Warnings

Chapter 12: Games and Warnings

"Bryce, what happened?" Riku asked as Bryce sat down huffily, leaning on the pole of the basketball hoop.

"Cheviot fired me," Bryce complained. "Edison said that wouldn't happen. I think Cheviot set it all up so he could fire me."

"I doubt that," T-Bone pointed out. "He's chairman of the board there, right?"

"Yeah. So?" Bryce looked angrily off into the distance.

"Well, your 'plot' suggestion seems rather complex," Riku pointed out. "Since when have you ever heard of a chairman of the board who had the brains to figure out complex ideas?"

Bryce felt a bit of his anger leave him. Riku had a point. Maybe Cheviot didn't set him up. "But why would he just throw me to the wolves if he doesn't hate me?"

"Who's throwing whom to the wolves?" Laura asked as she came out to join them. "A few of us saw that slap. You're a hero with a few of them. Most of us have spent our lives wishing we could slap the chairman of a major television network."

"I'm not proud of it," Bryce admitted. "I may have jumped the gun. But what I can't figure out is why Cheviot would fire me. It's bad enough that I'll probably be tried by Network 66. But now I've got nobody in my corner."

"Maybe you won't be tried by Network 66," Laura pointed out. "After all, now that you are no longer employed by Network 23, you can be tried in their courts. Right?"

Bryce's eyes widened at this. Could Cheviot have really fired him in an attempt to save his life. Would it work? Even if he was no longer employed there, would his having been a past employee still disqualify him for an appearance on 'You The Jury'? Why would Cheviot take such a risk, he wondered.

The answer came the next day when Jenny showed up at Westford. She didn't announce herself or stay long. Instead, she watched for Bryce near the fence.

Bryce, Riku, T-Bone and Vincent walked onto the basketball court. Vincent was carrying a ball. Jenny thought about calling out, but decided to watch a bit first. She'd never seen Bryce try out any type of sports and was curious to see how he would do.

"We're not going easy on you just because you're a tech," Vincent warned Bryce. "So it's me and T-Bone against you and Riku. Game ends at 50 points. You can't dribble the ball for more than three minutes before you either shoot or pass to your teammate. Got it?"

"Got it," Bryce nodded.

Jenny leaned against a lamppost and watched the game. Bryce wasn't a natural as was obvious by the fact that he wasn't very good at receiving or passing the ball at the three minute marks, but he wasn't a disaster at it either, as he managed to score four points for himself and Riku as well as assisting Riku for another six before the other team managed to get possession of the ball.

Bryce tried to get it back, but ended up stumbling and falling near the fence. Jenny realized this was as good an opportunity as any to speak to him.

"Not bad," she complimented him.

"Jenny. What are you doing here?" Bryce asked.

"I can't be seen here talking to you like this. But I had to warn you about what Network 66 is planning if they end up being the ones to try your case," Jenny sounded very upset. "It's not Grossberg's idea. He tried to talk them out of it. Bryce our courts are going to seek the death penalty."

"That explains it," Bryce realized. "That's why Cheviot dismissed me so I could be tried by Network 23."

"I hope his idea works, for your sake." Jenny said, worriedly.

"You gonna play or flirt?" Riku called. "Come on, let's go."

"Thanks, Jenny," Bryce told her, returning to the game.

Jenny watched a few more minutes, then hurried away.


	13. Chapter 13: Desperate Moments

-Chapter 13: Desperate Moments-

That night, T-Bone's dream about drag-racing was disturbed by the sudden gust of wind across his sleeping face. Opening his eyes, he saw Bryce at the window with one knee on the sill.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, slyly.

"I can't stay here," Bryce told him. "Jenny says they're going to execute me if Network 66 finds me guilty."

"Get back in here and close the damned window. Its cold out." T-Bone told him. "Look, where are you going to go where you won't get recognized?"

"I'll think of somewhere." Bryce said, closing the window all the same.

"Don't you think running away might just make you look guiltier?" T-Bone sat up. "Look, me and Riku. And the others We'll help you. But it's not going to do any good if you do stuff that makes you look like a cat in a goldfish bowl."

"I'll go to New Tokyo," Bryce suggested.

"Your face will be posted at every transport hub the minute they notice you're missing," T-Bone told him. "The best thing for you to do is wait here. It's where you're safest."

"It's not like they'd shoot me on sight," Bryce argued.

"If you really are accused of murder then they just might," T-Bone told him. "Look you told me earlier that Edison Carter wants to interview you, right?"

"Yeah. But right now I trust him like I'd trust a juggernaut with a goldfish bowl," Bryce confided.

T-Bone raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you get it?" Bryce exclaimed. "Edison lied to me. He lied just so I wouldn't put up a fuss when they brought me here."

"When have you ever known Edison Carter to lie" T-Bone scoffed.

"He lied to Theora when he didn't tell her that the helicopter wasn't broken," Bryce said, pointedly.

"Was that during that report on Security Systems?"

Bryce shuddered. "Don't remind me. I almost died. Edison kept me alive that time. I never thought he'd betray me."

"Why would he save your life if he was going to throw you to the jackals?" T-Bone tried to reason with him.

"Maybe he thought they'd prefer fresh meat?" Bryce retorted.

"Or maybe he really believed what he was telling you." T-Bone suggested. "You'd better get back into bed before night staff gets here. If they think you were trying to escape, you'll get two week in lockdown at Stepshire. And that place is much worse than here. You go in there you'll come out hardly knowing what day of the week it is."

Bryce climbed back into bed and adjusted the blankets. For someone like him, he decided, Stepshire would be the worst of all nightmares. Better to stay and do the interview. Maybe T-Bone was right. Maybe Edison was innocent. He had no choice but to wait and see.


	14. Chapter 14: The Hardest Interview

-Chapter 14: The Hardest Interview He Ever Did-

Edison Carter checked his camera's lens one final time. Satisfied that it was dust-free and had no smudges on it, he turned on the microphone and adjusted the volume. "Edison Carter. Live and direct." he said, his voice lacking its usual enthusiasm.

"I don't want to do this interview," he told Murray and Theora. "Bryce's rape should not be brought up on television for all to gossip about. It's nobody's business except his."

"Cheviot knows how bloodthirsty courtroom show audiences can be," Murray told him.

"He wants to make sure that Bryce has a chance at survival if he's tried at another network. Assuming that his bid to try him here by firing him is disallowed." Theora added.

"What do you mean chance of survival?" Edison demanded. "What haven't you told me?"

"If Bryce is tried at Network 66, their courts intend to seek the death penalty." Murray explained.

"We have to get him out of there!" Edison said. "We can't let that happen."

"You can't break him out," Theora told him. "I looked up Westford's rules regarding escape attempts or breakouts. In those cases anyone with a priority one status, like Bryce, would be transferred to Stepshire."

"The asylum?" Murray shuddered.

Theora nodded. "The transfer is only two weeks. But in over seventy percent of the cases, the client was either lobotomized or given so many electroshocks that they were left in conditions similar to stroke victims. We can't let that happen to Bryce."

Edison wanted to vomit. The idea of someone as super-intelligent as Bryce being reduced to a state worse than a moron was abhorrent to him. He would be damned if he would let that happen.

"Okay. I'll do the interview," he declared. He left the control room and went to the helipad where Martinez was waiting.

"I hate things like this," he complained as he climbed into the helicopter.

"Imagine how he's feeling," Martinez replied as the helicopter lifted off.

Edison considered the questions he planned to ask. He had to dig deep, uncover the full truth about what had happened not just on the night of Parker's death, but also eight years earlier when Parker had abused Bryce for the first time.

It wasn't long before the helicopter reached its destination and landed. Edison got out, camera in hand, and scurried toward the front doors of the Westford Juvenile Detention Center remembering how he had come in the last time, escorting a trembling and sobbing Bryce. The same Bryce he was now about to interview about some very personal things.

"He's in the reading room down the hall," Mr. Lawrence told him. "Cheviot called an hour ago and we decided that was the best place for this interview. I must say, he's got mixed feelings about it. And I must add that his meeting with his counselor is in about fifteen minutes, so I will ask that you wrap this up by that time."

"Understood," Edison agreed. He walked down the hall until he reached a door with a silver plaque that said "Reading Room". Lifting his camera, he focused on the plaque. "This is Edison Carter live and direct at the Westford Juvenile Detention Center," he said for his show's opening dialogue. "Inside this room is a boy of sixteen who, until a few days ago, led a very quiet life. A life which was shattered by a chain of events that started not then, but eight years ago. I'm going to enter now and have a word with him."

"Good, Edison," Theora said over the camera link.

"We'll," Edison said to Theora alone, "here I go. Feels like walking into the lion's den."

"Just remember, this time you're the lion," Theora pointed out.

Edison nodded and resumed filming as he pushed open the door to the reading room.

Bryce was sitting at one of the three tables in the room's center staring thoughtfully at a cup of water.

He looked up and saw the camera.

'So,' he thought. 'no friendly hello or hugs. just directly to the interview.'

"Cut it control," Edison said, seeing the hurt expression on Bryce's face. He lowered the camera and went over to his former coworker. "Bryce..." he said. He set the camera down on the table and hugged the young genius.

Bryce did not return the hug. It was clear that he was unhappy with Edison and the ace reporter didn't blame him one bit.

"Let's just get this over with," Bryce said.

Edison released him and switched the camera back on.

"This is Bryce Lynch. Graduate of the Academy of Computer Sciences and one of the brightest people of his generation. Many of you are probably wondering how someone so brilliant could end up spending time at a juvenile detention center. The story begins eight years ago when a terrible event changed his life for all time. Bryce, what happened to you back then?"

Bryce began to slowly turn the cup in his hands as he spoke. "It was before ACS," he replied. "I was walking home from a movie on the weekend that my parents had let me go see. I don't know if Parker was in the theater or if he started following me later on. I was two blocks from home, the old theater, not the one where Mind's Eye was, the other one, was three blocks from my parents' house."

Edison sensed that Bryce was trying to change the subject.

"I know the area. Go on," he prompted.

"Parker asked me the time," Bryce said. "When I lifted my arm to look at my watch, he grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me into a nearby warehouse. I couldn't fight him. He was huge compared to me. I was only eight after all. I fought to keep my clothes on, but he tore them off of me. I... " Bryce faltered. "Edison, I can't do this."

"Yes, you can," Edison said, reassuringly. "You're doing fine. What happened next? You don't have to go into detail."

"He raped me, Mr. Carter," Bryce told him, darkly. "Not once as you may have assumed, but twice"

Back at Network 23 control, Theora's eyes were ablaze with fury. How could Cheviot have hired such a man?.

"After the first time, "Bryce was saying back at Westford. "He kept me there until he felt like doing it again. It was in the middle of the second assault that the police arrived. That's what my mother told me. I was barely coherent at that point. They told me later on that I was in a fugue state for about two months before I returned to normal. They said that if I'd been raped a third time, I might not have come out of if at all."

"What happened on the night of the killing?" Edison inquired.

"I asked Cheviot not to hire Parker," Bryce explained. "I recognized him at once as my rapist and had no intention of letting him anywhere near me."

"But Cheviot did hire him," Edison said, matter-of-factly.

"Yes," Bryce confirmed. "Something I was unaware of until the minute he pulled me out of the bathtub and dragged me over to the sink, intent on raping me once again."

"And that's when you lashed out."

Bryce nodded. "The doctor's words, that I would've ended up locked in perpetual catatonia if I were attacked a third time, kept running through my head. I had to fight back. I picked up the razor blade I had taken from the shaver off the sink and struck him in the eye, just to make him back off. But the minute it hit him, I just ... I think the expression is 'freaked out'. The more I cut him, the more I wanted him dead."

"What made you stop?" Edison asked.

"There was a flicker on my vu-phone screen," Bryce explained. "It pulled me back to myself. I let Parker go. What has left of him anyhow. I didn't know he was dead until the next day."

There was a knock on the door which then swung open. "Bryce, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm Leona Harris. I'm supposed to speak to you now."

"I think we have enough for now," Edison told Bryce as he switched his camera to standby mode. "Take care of yourself. Murray, Theora, and I will stop by next time we can." He left the building and rejoined Martinez who was still waiting with the helicopter.

"If Parker wasn't dead, I'd kill him myself," Edison said, coldly. "I hate people like him."

In their respective locations, Theora, Murray, and Martinez all silently agreed.


	15. Chapter 15: Top Level Arguments

-Chapter 15: Top Level Arguments-

Cheviot switched the screen in the boardroom over to the ratings data page as soon as Edison's interview with Bryce came to a close. His heart ached with guilt over the fact that he had allowed Parker access to Bryce. It was something he didn't want to think about.

"Looks like that little interview gave us a twenty point ratings increase," Edwards pointed out.

"I find that in poor taste," Cheviot pointed out.

"That coming from the man who suggested a live demonstration of blipverts," Ashwell remarked.

"Parker didn't kill Bryce," Cheviot said, weakly.

"No, he just raped him," Edwards clarified.

"Fate worse than death," Lauren said in the vocal equivalent of a shrug.

"Think the trial will bring in good ratings?" Edwards asked earning glares from the rest of the Board.

"And just... just... just what do you plan on doing with Bryce after the trial? Hm?" Max glitched from the same screen where the ratings page had just been. "You know you can't re-hire him if he's tried in our courts."

"I know," Cheviot admitted.

"So, why fire him?"

"I'm actually hoping the viewers will sentence Bryce to finish his teens at Westford," Cheviot admitted. "If Parker's attacks have affected him much as I think, I believe Bryce is going to need serious treatment to help him deal with what's happened."

"And what about after that?" Max inquired.

"Maybe I can't hire him back," Cheviot said. "But I'm not going to just abandon him when that time comes."

"No. You've already d- d- done that." Max retorted, vanishing from the screen with an angry scowl on his face and leaving the room in an uncomfortable silence as the ratings reappeared to the screen.

They didn't seem so important now.


	16. Chapter 16: A New Ally

-Chapter 16: A New Ally-

"What are you looking for?" Ralph asked Bryce who was taking his hour on the computer to prepare for the trial that was to come in a week at Network 66.

After all that Cheviot had done to try to get a trial for Bryce on friendly grounds, the group which oversaw the network courts had decided that they would not allow Network 23 to try Bryce because of his (and Parker's) past affiliation with them. At least he would be allowed to return to Network 23 if he were exonerated.

"I'm trying to find the judge who tried Parker for what he did to me eight years ago," Bryce explained. "I need a transcript of that case so that I can use various points in it to speak against his character."

"Why don't you just as Alison? She was a victim of his, too."

"Alison and I don't really get along," Bryce pointed out.

"I've been watching you," Ralph pointed out. "You really should be more understanding with her. She was victimized by him, too."

Bryce rolled his eyes as the girl in question joined them. "Look, I know you're not fond of me. I think that's completely unfair of you. I've done nothing to hurt you."

"Or help me," Bryce replied.

"I tried to get him put away nine years ago," Alison said, tears forming in her eyes. "I told my stupid parents over and over what he was doing to me. 'Oh, you must be imagining it,'." She quoted sarcastically, "'your uncle would never do that', 'we think you need to see a doctor for your delusions,' ... A year that crap went on. A whole goddamned year!"

"Jar," a nearby staff member called.

"Fuck you." Alison called back, returning her attention to Bryce she explained. "It wasn't until he was found guilty of raping someone that I finally got my peace and a well-deserved apology. But when they let him out, my bitch mother let him move into our house. 'he's done his time, we should forgive him'... that's how stupid she is."

"Why didn't you tell a metro? Or a teacher?"

"I did," Alison said. "But the bitch had me seeing a shrink. Every time I told anyone she would tell them about my visits and that I was having paranoid delusions that I was taking pills for, which she would wave around as proof. After a while, nobody believed me or even listened to me."

"You must've felt very alone," Bryce realized.

"I did," Alison agreed. "I want to thank you, by the way. It was your bravery in facing my uncle in court those eight years ago that gave me those eight years of peace."

"I've given you a lot more than eight," Bryce muttered.

"What?" Alison asked cautiously.

"When I tell you the full reason I'm in here, you'll look at me as either a hero or a villain," Bryce admitted.

"You didn't kill him?" Alison's eyes widened.

Bryce nodded, logging off his computer session. "He attacked me again when he got out of jail. I got a bit carried away while I was defending myself."

"The reason I won't forgive you is that I don't think you did anything you need to ask forgiveness for," Alison said, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "If you want me to go to your trial and tell everyone what a complete bastard he was, I will. It's the least I can do to say 'thank you'."

"Bryce," Mr. Lawrence said from the doorway.

Bryce looked up to see Edison and Theora standing there with Mr. Lawrence.

"Murray will be here in half an hour," Theora explained. "He had a meeting." She looked over at Alison. "Friend?"

"Perhaps," Bryce considered, looking back over at Alison. "If not, at least she's an ally. She's agreed to speak at the trial. She was hurt by Parker, too. Poor girl got stuck with him as an uncle."

Something in Bryce's gaze struck Edison. He gave a chuckle. "You like her."

"What?" Bryce said. "Don't be silly. I've only known her a few days. Not to mention it's a bit awkward to ask a girl out when the only thing we have in common is that her uncle abused us both."

"Are you sure that's the only thing?" Edison asked.

"Look, it's not going to happen," Bryce said, firmly. "Even if I do feel something for her... I mean even if I did feel something for her, it wouldn't work. I'd be there wondering if she felt pain or guilt about her what her uncle did. Even though we all know it's not her fault."

Alison walked over to Bryce and kissed him, unexpectedly causing Edison to chuckled a little.

"That's for being the first person to understand that," she told him as she went back over to the table and began playing a game of cards with Riku.

"Okay," Bryce said unsure what to make of what had just happened.


	17. Chapter 17: Her Wounded Heart

-Chapter 17: Her Wounded Heart-

Jenny stepped onto the lift at Network 66 and made her way to the front door.

She had just learned the identity of the judge who would be trying Bryce's case and it made her blood run cold. It was Judge Adams, Network 66's most renowned adjudicator and the front man for that network's best known trial show 'In Your Court'.

Judge Adams was very good at his job. He had presided over the 'In Your Court' trials almost since the show had first aired two years earlier. His audiences loved him and it was rare that they would vote in an accused's favor if the judge appeared to be against them.

Jenny hailed a rickshaw, the same one driven by Edison's buddy Rik (though she did not know this). "Take me to Westford," she said. "An extra ten if you make it there is double time. Twenty more if you wait for me when we get there."

She hope Bryce would be playing basketball again when she arrived. It would be fun to watch him. She wondered if she might be in love with her former classmate. His killing of John Parker had terrified her, but in a way it had also fascinated her. And when she had learned the reason, her heart had gone out to him. She had broken all the rules to warn him. Yes, she realized, she did love him. Network policies be damned. She loved Bryce.

At the same time that Jenny was offering an extra ten to Rik, Bryce was passing the basketball to Riku. The game was not in their favor and they and their teammate Laura were determined to at least tie the score of twelve that Alison, T-Bone, and Ralph had managed to get.

"The teams aren't evenly matched," Riku complained.

"It was your idea to use red and blue bottle caps to decide the players," Bryce pointed out as Riku passed the ball back and Bryce took the shot.

"Yes," the former Network 23 employee laughed as it went in.

"Good. Now we're only eight points behind," Riku remarked as the ball was put back in play.

Laura dribbled, then passed to Riku. He passed it back to Laura, barely avoiding a capture of the ball by T-Bone. Then Laura passed the ball to Bryce, who was tackled by Alison so unexpectedly that they both lost track of the ball and ended up in a little pile with Alison on top of Bryce. It was as if they were seeing each other for the first time, not as victims of a shared pain, but simply as each other.

Alison remembered the impulsive kiss she'd given Bryce the day before. Now she wanted to give him another one, and not just to thank him. She couldn't believe it. She'd barely known this boy for a few days and she felt so much gratitude and love toward him that she thought her heart would burst with it. She leaned down and touched her lips to his a second time.

The rickshaw stopped and only moments before Jenny's felt her heart do the same. She stared at the scene before her; four basketball players waiting impatiently, one tapping his foot, another whistling, while her Bryce was being kissed by some pathetic floozy who'd only been in his life for a few days.

Jenny waited herself, wondering why Bryce wasn't shoving the bitch away. Wait a minute! Was he actually blushing? Surely her Bryce wasn't falling for this other girl.

"Get a room," Ralph called out, which was what finally caused Alison to pull back from the kiss and also to make Bryce's blush deepen.

"Get me out of here," Jenny hissed, darkly, to Rik as tears of heartbreak ran down her faee. "Get me the hell away from this place."

As the rickshaw traveled back to Network 66, Jenny looked back toward Westford one final time.

"God damn you, Bryce Lynch."


	18. Chapter 18: Betrayal

-Chapter 18: Betrayal-

"Jenny, please," Rik said as he drove her home. "If you're thinking of doing what I think you are. Don't. Bryce is a good kid. He was defending himself and you know it."

"I didn't see that part," Jenny pointed out. "All I saw what Bryce chasing Parker out of the bathroom while viciously cutting at his face with a razor."

"Then tell them that you don't know the whole story. That's the truth."

"I do know that I saw Bryce attacking Parker. That's also the truth," Jenny said.

Rik almost wanted to abduct Jenny. To make sure she was away from Network 66 long enough to prevent her testimony. But that would look bad for Bryce. All he could do was take her home, then warn Edison of the danger.

Jenny stormed into the front door and didn't stop until she was forced to wait for the lift.

"Out sightseeing?" Grossberg asked her.

"Clearing my head," Jenny said.

"Doesn't look like it's worked too well," Grossberg observed. "You look like an allergy sufferer at a pollen festival."

"I have to go," Jenny told him. "I have to see Judge Adams about some evidence in the upcoming murder trial."

"Jenny, Network employee evidence is not admissible in that employee's own network court."

"Then make it admissible." Jenny snarled. With a bitter look on her face, she turned to the lift doors which had just opened and stepped inside.

Grossberg watched her go, then went to the boardroom. Once there, he stepped into his private office and picked up the vu-phone receiver.

Punching in the number, he waited for the call to go through.

"What the hell are you calling me for?" Cheviot demanded as he saw the image of his rival appear on the screen in front of him.

"You are already aware that Network 66 is about to try a young man who with both care about," Grossberg reminded him.

"You care about Bryce?" Cheviot asked.

"I'm the one who hired him for Network 23," Grossberg reminded Cheviot.

"That was the best thing you ever did for Network 23," Cheviot said. "But you didn't call to chat about the good ol' days."

"No. I called because there's a new problem with the case."

"What kind of problem?" Cheviot asked cautiously.

"Our head of research and development is trying to find out how she can circumvent the rule about network employees not being allowed to testify in their own network's court."

"Even if she were able to, what can she do?" Cheviot asked.

"Ben," Grossberg explained, "she saw Bryce slashing Parker's face."

"I'd better tell Edison" Cheviot decided. "Much as I hate to admit it, I owe you thanks for this."

Cheviot disconnect the call with Grossberg and punched in the number for Theora's control desk.

"Problem," he told her, "There's a girl at Network 66 who's out for blood. As in Bryce's."

"She's the one who told us about Bryce," Theora told him, confirming what Grossberg had said about Jenny having witnessed the killing.

"She can't testify in their courts," Theora said.

"She's trying to find a way around the ban," Cheviot said. "If she's even half as clever as Bryce she might succeed."

"Last I knew she was trying to help him. Class honor and all that." Theora told him as Edison walked in. "Why would she suddenly turn on him? He can't have done anything to her. He's been locked up in juvenile hall ever since his arrest."

"Something must've happened since then to change her mind," Edison decided. "I'll have Martinez fly me down to Westford so I can have a talk with Bryce."

"Can't," Murray told him, "Martinez just took Janie Crane to cover the opening of the new Scumball stadium."

"Then I'll get Rik to bring me there," Edison told them. He slung the strap for his vidicam over his shoulder and left the control room.

"I already know," Rik told him as he approached the rickshaw.

"How?" Edison asked.

"Because I saw the whole thing. That girl has serious jealousy issues."

"Jealousy?" Edison inquired.

"Hop in, I'll tell you on the way," Martinez said.

As Edison climbed into the passenger wagon, he continued. "Jenny asked me to take her to Westford. She had some news for Bryce. A warning that she wanted to give him about the trial. But when we got there, she changed her mind and started cursing him."

"Why? What happened?"

"Well, it wasn't Bryce's fault. This girl at the juvie. They were playing basketball, Bryce and these two girls and a few guys."

"I can't really picture Bryce involved in physical sports, but go on."

"Well he's not too bad. But this one girl tackled him when he was going for a lay-up and next thing you know."

"She kissed him," Edison guessed. "Must've been Alison Parker."

"Relative of the guy who..."

Edison nodded. "And another former victim."

"Anyhow Little Miss Jenny saw Bryce get kissed by this girl and ..."

"And that's when she turned on him," Edison realized.

"Edison, come back in," Theora said. "This is a matter that's going to require a woman's touch."


	19. Chapter 19: A Matter of Emotion

-Chapter 19: A Matter of Emotion-

Bryce lie in bed that evening wondering about the second kiss that Alison had given him. It wasn't the kiss that was causing his mind to race, but rather his reaction to it. He had blushed like a schoolboy. Why had he responded so emotionally? And he remembered that he had actually started to return the kiss. Why had he done that? He wasn't going to be in this place very long. Even if he was, he doubted that the staff would allow the two of them to carry on with a romance of any kind.

"Thinking about the game?" T-Bone asked him.

"Part of it anyhow," Bryce admitted.

"I can guess which part," T-Bone smirked. "Does that mean you do like Alison?"

"Its hard to decide," Bryce replied. "Its not like she and I can go on a date or start making out in the TV room."

"No," T-Bone admitted. "But you can still have fun together. Nobody's going to care if you play basketball one-on-one as long as you don't get frisky all the time. And you do cleanup together. Work on your case together."

"A murder case. How romantic."

"You both were scarred by the guy you killed," T-Bone explained. "It may not be romantic, but it still an emotional connection."

Alison, in the meantime, sneaked out of her room and went to the one that Sebastian and Laura were sharing.

"Heard you kissed the new guy," Sebastian said.

"Twice now," Alison told her.

"When was the second time?" Laura asked.

"During today's break. While we were playing basketball. I knocked him down while I was trying to get the ball and the next thing I know, I'm kissing him."

"Did he respond?"

"He started to after a bit. God, what do I do? My uncle raped him for crying out loud."

"That's not your fault," Sebastian pointed out. "There's no reason for you to feel guilty about it."

"I don't," Alison said. "But how can this work? I know that when he looks at me he sees that horrible man."

"Then you'll have to figure out a way to make him see only you," Laura told her.

"Miss Parker," the woman who was patrolling the girl's corridor that night said from the hallway, "back to your own room now. It's past lights out."

"Yes, Miss Weller," Alison said. She returned to her room and climbed back into bed. As she fell asleep, she wondered how she would accomplish what Laura had suggested she do. It would not be easy. But as she thought of the kiss she had shared with Bryce, she decided that it would be worth it.

At Network 66, Jenny lie face down on her bed, tears dampening her pillow.

"How could you, Bryce? How could you do this to me? How could you just turn your back on me this way? If you're so smart, how could you not see how much you mean to me?"

The phone rang and she answered it. Anything to get her mind off this. The girl who answered was also sixteen. Her blond hair was up in a severe bun despite her young age.

"Marietta," Jenny told her.

"You ask Bryce about the Reunion/Think Tank?" Marietta asked.

"Bryce Lynch is in juvie hall pending a murder trial. Don't ask. But he's no longer one of us."

"Don't tell me. He broke your heart." Marietta guessed. "I'm sure this new girl. It was a girl, right?"

Jenny nodded.

"I'm sure she's just a passing fling," Marietta said. "Just let it run it's course."

"And what if it isn't a passing fling? Then what?" Jenny wiped a tear from her eye.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Marietta promised.


	20. Chapter 20: A Woman's Wisdom

-Chapter 20: A Woman's Wisdom-

Theora watched the door of the restaurant from the table she had requested. On the table sat a steaming tray of appetizers and a cold jug of ice water, all untouched. She was waiting for her guest to join her before digging in herself.

The wait wasn't long. In less than five minutes the door opened and Jenny walked in. Theora waved to the girl and waited for her to sit down.

"You should try the fried peppers, they're really good," Theora remarked. "I've had them before."

Jenny took a chicken wing, instead as she sat down across from Theora.

"I know you're hurt, Jenny," Theora said.

Jenny put down the wing and started to stand.

"Sit down," Theora said, firmly. "Let me just tell you right now, I am not going to let you or anyone else hurt Bryce. He's suffered enough. He's been raped three times and now he has to live with the guilt that comes from killing a man who in my opinion deserved it."

"And of course my feelings aren't important," Jenny pouted. "All that matters is Mr. Perfect. May I remind you that he..."

"Your feelings are,important" Theora sympathized. "But your broken heart is not a reason to condemn a good person to death."

"I love him, Theora," Jenny nearly exploded. "I was with him every day of school. We walked to classes together, studied together."

"When you were ten," Theora said. By this time, neither of them were hungry.

"Did you know that I was the one who told him about ViewDoze?" Jenny asked. "He could've hacked the system to find out and he called me." When Theora didn't reply, she went on. "Don't you see. It was an excuse for him to talk with me. It had to be."

"Or he was just taking the path of least resistance," Theora pointed out. "Jenny..."

"He must know how I feel. He's brilliant. How could he not know?"

"Did you ever tell him?" Theora asked, sensibly.

Jenny seemed to deflate at this question.

"No," she admitted. "I didn't. Not in words. But you'd think that a young man of his intellect would be able to figure it out."

"Even Einstein couldn't figure out women," Theora reminded her. "Jenny, if you truly love him, how could you even think of having him killed? If you really love Bryce, please don't betray him."

"But he betrayed me," Jenny said, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "Don't you see? If I let him get away with that, I'll be just another stupid girl."

"Bryce is new to affairs of the heart," Theora explained.

"Well, he sure seemed to be catching on fast," Jenny countered.

"I doubt he understands it as much as he thinks he does," Theora assured her. "Just know this, if he is put to death, you'll never have a chance to find out if what you think of as a betrayal might only be a moment of emotional curiosity."

"I don't blame you for protecting your friend, Miss Jones," Jenny said as she rose from her seat. "I just hope he doesn't hurt you someday also."

Theora watched her leave, then flagged down a waiter.

"I'd like to get this to go, please."


	21. Chapter 21: Before the Trial

-Chapter 21: Before the Trial-

Bryce stood in the waiting lobby outside the entrance to the "In Your Court" stage at Network 66. Alongside him stood Edison and Alison.

Jenny stood off to the side, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. To Theora, who was watching from her control desk, the girl looked like she wasn't sure what to do. Theora hoped this was a good sign. That there was hope that she would forgive Bryce for unknowingly breaking her heart. After a moment, Jenny approached Bryce's group.

"I need to talk to you," she told Alison.

Theora tensed.

"Stay calm," Murray told her as he joined her to watch the pre-trial goings on.

"What is it?" Alison asked, back at Network 66. "Who are you?"

"Bryce is my former classmate," Jenny told her. "And he is also someone I love very deeply. I won't let you steal him from me."

"Judging by the fact that you're way over there, I'd guess you're about to throw him to the jackals," Alison retorted. "That hardly seems like love to me. I know how hurt you feel. I've had my heart broken before also."

"What's that all about?" Bryce asked Edison as he watched the two girls arguing.

"They're just fighting over you," Edison told him, casually. "Best not to get involved. You'll just make it worse no matter how good your intentions."

Bryce rolled his eyes and walked over to Jenny and Alison who were now practically screaming at each other.

"Excuse me?" he asked, cautiously.

"SHUT UP, BRYCE!" Both girl screamed at him instantly returning their attention to each other.

"Boys," Alison huffed.

"You'd think they would learn to keep their noses out of things that are none of their business," Jenny agreed.

"Tell me about it," Alison agreed. "You really can't do a thing with them can you?"

"Not a thing," stated Jenny while Bryce returned to Edison's side wondering why an argument about himself was none of his business.

"Between studying women and studying the universe take the universe," Bryce told Edison. "You can make sense out of the universe."

Bryce and Edison couldn't make out what Jenny and Alison were saying. In the end, both girls approached them.

"Bryce," Jenny said, "I need to know how you feel about Alison here?"

"I guess I like her," Bryce admitted. "But I can't be sure. All these feelings are new to me, so I don't even know what half of them are. Why does it matter so much to you?"

"Because I love you," Jenny told him.

"Jenny," Bryce began.

"Damn it, Bryce. I know it's an unwarranted emotional response. Don't you see, that's not important to me. All that matters is that it hurts me to think of you with another girl."

"Jenny, that's not going to matter soon. If this judge gets what he wants, then I am going to die. If I do, please don't blame Alison or yourself. It's not your fault."

Jenny watched him walk away to think as her own mind raced with a single thought of her own.

'If I go along with my testimony it very well can be,'


	22. Chapter 22: In Your Court

-Chapter 22: In Your Court-

"Ladies and gentlemen! Viewers from around the globe!" The cheerful voice of the announcer echoed from every TV screen that lined Studio 3 in the Network 66 skyscraper. There were no chairs, save for the one in which Judge Adams was to be seated. Instead, two platforms jutted out from that which the judge's seat and desk occupied. On one of these platforms, Bryce stood accompanied by Alison and Edison. The other was empty. But it was not to be so for long.

"Welcome," the announcer continued, "to tonight's thrilling episode of "In Your Court! Let's meet this episode's defense attorney. You all know her from the night time drama "Porky's Landing". Ladies and gentlemen Sarah Jackson."

Sarah Jackson joined Bryce on his platform. "I can only promise to do my best," she apologized to the young genius. "I must confess, though. I am the worst attorney here."

"Being the worst doesn't necessarily make you bad at what you do," Bryce replied. "If you have three A+ students, they must range from best to worst. But they're still all A+."

"I'm a C at best," Sarah admitted.

Grossberg shuddered in his office. Sarah Jackson. What a joke. There was no way she could win the case for Bryce. She was the Network's worst attorney. He understood what was going on and he was already working on what to write in his letters of condolence to Edison's team as well as Bryce's parents, even if the latter hadn't been in contact with their son since he'd gone to college when he was ten.

His fears were doubled when the announcer continued.

"And now the prosecuting attorney! From the critically acclaimed show "Trial and Tribulation" Mark Halloway!"

"It's a kangaroo court," Theora growled. "There's no way Bryce can win with a lineup like that. I wish we could just..."

"...storm the trial and rescue him?" Edison asked. "I'm afraid we can't do that."

"There's still hope," Murray reminded them. "Once they find out what Parker did to Bryce, the audience won't be so quick to prosecute. There isn't a single good person who doesn't hate a child molester."

"How are we going to prove it?" Edison asked.

"Max," Theora asked.

Max appeared solely on the screen beside her.

"I won't even ask how you managed to get onto Network 66's screens,"

"Phone line," Max explained anyhow.

"Max, can you get the securicam footage of when Parker attacked Bryce?"

"Quicker than you can say jackalope," Max replied. "Done."

"Now put me through to Sarah Jackson's private phone." Theora said. "Miss Jackson. I want you to call Max Headroom as a surprise witness. He has evidence that will help your case."

On the defense platform, Sarah Jackson closed her phone and replaced it in her pocket. "Looks like you might get that reprieve after all. "

"And now," the announcer said, "the man you've all been waiting for! That most jurisprudent of judges! Judge Adams!"

The judge approached the seat amidst much fanfare and gave a king's wave to the court. As the canned applause faded, he took his seat and began to speak. "Before me today stands Network 23's former head of Research and Development who has been placed before this court on grounds of murder in the first degree. Miss Jackson. How does your client plead?"

"Not guilty, your honor." Sarah Jackson responded.

"Your honor," Mark Halloway put in. "Miss Jackson's claim that her client is innocent is a joke. We will show this court that on the night in question Bryce Lynch deliberately and with malicious intent did in fact cause and indeed did personally inflict grievous and fatal injury upon John Parker."

"Miss Jackson how do you respond?"

"Your honor. We will show this court that my client, Bryce Lynch, acted in self-defense in response to a malicious and potentially deadly crime that was being committed upon him at that time."

"You may present your evidence," Judge Adams said, directing this statement to Mr. Halloway.

Jenny looked down at her feet. She knew what was coming. The securicam footage that she had given the judge. The donation had been anonymous, to avoid the ban on employee evidence. A tear ran down her face as she fully realized for the first time she'd condemned Bryce to death.

Halloway gestured to a screen on the wall behind and above the judge. All eyes and cameras fell upon it as the gruesome scenario was replayed upon it: Bryce nude and dripping wet slashing viciously at Parker's face and neck with a small razor that was dripping with blood until he suddenly dropped the razor, gathered up his bathrobe, and ran from the studio, fumbling the robe on as he fled.

"I'm sorry, Bryce," Jenny whispered to herself. "I'm so sorry." she knew that even if the truth about the evidence came out, even if it was rendered inadmissible, the audience had already seen it. The damage was already done.

"That's pretty condemning evidence, Miss Jackson," Judge Adams told her. "Do you wish to change your plea?"

"No, your honor," Miss Jackson replied. "I have proof that my client acted in self defense."

"By all means. Present your evidence."

"Bryce, can you tell me what happened in that bathroom before the events we just saw?"

Bryce swallowed. Although he had mentioned the event in passing to Alison, he had not spoken of it in length to anyone not even to his counselor. But now he had to. His life literally depended on it.

"I was taking a bath," he said. "It was quiet finally and decided to bathe and relax for a bit. I had just closed my eyes when I was dragged out of the tub by Mr. Parker. I tried to break free, but my feet were wet and the floor was slippery from all the water that was dripping off me. So no traction. No way to pull free. He forced me over the counter where the sink was and then forced himself into me for the third time."

"Third time?" Miss Jackson inquired.

"He assaulted me twice when I was eight," Bryce explained. "That was why I had asked Cheviot not to hire him."

"Go on, Bryce," Miss Jackson encouraged. "What did you do when he penetrated you?"

"I wasn't a weak little eight=year=old this time," Bryce replied. "I had just changed the blade on my shaving razor that morning. I'd only just started shaving a few weeks ago. I hadn't thrown away the old one because I thought it might come in handy as a spare for my VHS/Betamax/8MM video splicing kit. I grabbed it and cut his eye. I don't remember what I did after that. My mind was full of memories from when I was eight. The pain of the first attack. The shame of the second one as he held me against that window and went at me until I blacked out."

"He raped you in a window? Where everyone could see?"

"He told me they couldn't see his face, only what he was doing to me. That it was my punishment to be disgraced in that way. I never saw a single person walk by. He was still going at me when I lost consciousness. I guess the cop saw me, that's how he found me when I was rescued."  
The judge turned to Mr. Halloway.

"Your sob story is really touching," the attorney smiled. "But can you prove it?"

"We can," Miss Jackson replied. "I would like to call a surprise witness to the stand. "

"Objection!" Mr. Halloway declared.

"Overruled," Judge Adams replied.

"Probably for ratings," Murray muttered to Theora, who nodded in agreement.

"I call Max Headroom," Miss Jackson stated.

Max appeared on the screen where Halloway's evidence had just been shown.

"I understand you have some evidence you'd like to share with this court?" Miss Jackson asked him.

"Forgive me, Bryce," Max told him. "If we are to save your life, then they must see this."

"Max..." Bryce pleaded.

"I'm sorry," Max apologized as he ran the securicam footage of the rape that had taken place in the bathroom on the night of Parker's death.

Bryce lowered his head in shame. This was the last thing he'd wanted anyone to see and now the whole world was watching it happen.

Miss Jackson put a hand on his shoulder.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of."


	23. Chapter 23: Popular Verdict

-Chapter 23: Popular Verdict-

"Both sides have been heard from," Judge Adams addressed the viewers. "Now it is up to you the viewing audience to decide what will be the ultimate fate of our young defendant on tonight's "In Your Court"!"

An advertisement for Zlin's latest products played on the Network 66 screens while the tabulators counted the votes for the verdict.

Bryce stood alone, with his attorney in dull shock. Alison's testimony had been refused as irrelevant with the excuse that if it were presented the show would run over. He hoped that the embarrassing footage of his rape that night would be enough to swing the vote to his side.

He wondered where Network 66 had gotten the footage that the prosecution had shown. Thinking on it, he recalled the flash on his vu-phone that had made him stop slashing Parker. Could someone have called him from there? No. Who would? And why? Grossberg knew he wasn't interested in working at Network 66 now that his spat with Cheviot was resolved. So there was no reason for him to call. And he didn't know anyone else there. Except Jenny. But why would she betray him that way? Why would she set him up to die?

The commercial block ended and the show's fanfare sounded.

"Welcome back to "In Your Court" Judge Adams said to the viewing audience. "We've tallied your votes and now is the time you've all been waiting for. Ladies and gentlemen, you've watched the evidence. You've heard the testimony. And your verdict is..."

Edison gripped his camera tightly. Murray was whispering a prayer under his breath, and Theora was watching Bryce with anxious eyes.

Bryce himself looked like he was about to have an anxiety attack. This single moment would decide his fate. Decide whether he would live or die. They'd seen what he'd done to Parker. But they had also seen what Parker had done to him.

"Guilty."

"WHAT?!" Edison screamed.

"It was a clear case of self-defense!" Theora shouted.

Murray walked over to the vu-phone on the wall and punched in the number for Grossberg's office. "Your Network courts are about to condemn an innocent person to death. Any suggestions?"

Grossberg pondered for a second. "The sentencing won't happen right away. "In Your Court" is a two-part per case weekly series . We show the trial on Saturday and carry out the sentence on Sunday. If you believe the votes have been tampered with or that the judge is lying about the verdict for some reason, you have twenty-four hours to prove it. Return to me within that time with the evidence and Bryce will be spared."

On the platform, Bryce had collapsed in a sobbing heap as Miss Jackson put he arm around him. How could this have happened? The entire world knew that Parker had raped him. How could they convict him when he had clearly been defending himself.

Two men approached Bryce. One cuffed his hands behind his back, then they led him to a small room off to the side to await sentencing.

"I want a readout of the verdict votes," Miss Jackson demanded.

"Of course," Judge Adams agreed. "You will have it on your desk at four PM tomorrow. But it will do no good. Sentencing phase is tomorrow at six PM."

"If he's going to be condemned to die, can't he at least say goodbye to his friends?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Jackson. This court has explicit instruction not to let anyone see him."

"I see," Miss Jackson said, wondering who had given that order and why. "Thank you."

Miss Jackson left the platform and approached Edison's team.

"This is a serious miscarriage of justice," she told them. "The judge just basically admitted to me that someone else is involved in this trial. Whoever it is told them not to let you see Bryce before his sentencing."

"Afraid we'll run off with him, I'll bet," Murray suggested.

"Most likely," Theora agreed. "Poor Bryce."

Murray looked at Miss Jackson. "Can't you do anything?"

"I've demanded a read out of the votes. But that won't be in until late tomorrow. Around two hours before the sentence is carried out."

"That doesn't give us much time to work with the results," Edison remarked.

"It's the best I can do," Miss Jackson apologized.


	24. Chapter 24: Alone

-Chapter 24: Alone-

Bryce lay on the cot in the holding cell in the pitch blackness. It was still daylight outside, but there were no windows or lights of any kind in the room. Not any more. When his jailors had brought him into the room, they had removed the light bulb from the ceiling fixture and had removed the small TV from the wall, leaving him in total darkness.

He had noticed a spot where a window had once been and had fumbled to find it in the dark. When he'd located it, he'd placed his glasses on it and then had gone back to the bare cot to lie down.

He tried to solve a few simple mathematical equations in his head to calm himself, but it was no use. The only numbers he could think of now where the minutes that were passing so rapidly. Minutes leading to the end of his life. They always had been leading to that he supposed. But now that it was only hours away instead of years, they seemed to be ticking away much faster.

He thought of the few friends he'd made since joining Edison's team and regretted not being allowed to say goodbye to them before his execution. He'd never had such regrets before. When he'd left home for ACS at the age of ten, he had never called his parents or any of his friends, and there had been no regrets there. He didn't hate his parents. He had simply put his brain into a scientific mindset and had thought of nothing but his schooling and his job.

He thought of Jenny and Alison and hoped that they would become friends somehow. They had agreed with each other about how annoying he was, which he found amusingly confusing since they both professed to love him. That brought a sad smile to his lips for a moment, but only a moment. It was hard to keep it there knowing that he was about to die. He at least liked both of them, and he was certain now that he had loved Alison. If only he'd been found not guilty. He thought he might have gotten her out of Westford somehow. That maybe she might have proven a good assistant. That would've placed her in his studio alongside him. They might've gotten to know each other better over time. Then, who knows what might have happened. Maybe one day she might've consented to be his wife. That wasn't going to happen now, though, he realized. So it was best not to think about it. As he put it out of his mind, a stray thought crept in that if he'd had the chance to be a husband and maybe even a father one day, that Janine would've been a good name for a daughter. The tune of a song by that name, it was his mother's favorite as that was her name also, drifted into his mind. He tried to remember the name of the singer. David something. Bowie! Yes, that was it. His mother had been a fan of David Bowie in her youth because of that song. There was another she used to sing along to as well, one about an egotistical guitar player who annoyed the band he played with. But Bryce couldn't remember what the man was called now. Was it Andy? or Steve? No. That was Sweet. His dad's favorite band. It marveled him that he was remembering such things at this moment.

His mind drifted hazily for a while on no particular subject. When it became lucid again, he thought back to his remark about challenging God during the incident with Security Systems. He wondered if He played chess. Of course God could probably checkmate in two moves. Though He might drag the game out for the sake of entertainment. Bryce wondered how long He would let it go on for. He hoped that God wouldn't be like the Norse deity Odin and make him count all the stones in Wales or perform some other crazy burden like that as a punishment for what he had said.

His mind turned to Edison. He wished the man was there holding him as he had when he had been close to death in that thermal testing chamber. They'd tried to freeze the two of them to death at that time. Fortunately, some quick talking by Max Headroom had convinced the A7 artificial intelligence program to unlock the door and set them both free. He wasn't sure what he felt about Edison now. He had thought he was in love with the man for a few weeks after the events at Security Systems. But he had been too uncertain of himself to say anything. When Edison had gotten back with an old flame for a short while and it hadn't bothered him, he realized that what he had felt was probably just admiration and gratitude.

Now he almost wished he had died there and the in the arms of his best friend, rather than how he would probably die tomorrow, or was it today. He didn't know how much time had passed. Was it past midnight? Or had it only been less than an hour since he was put in this horrible room. How much more time did he have? The thought weighed heavily upon him as he closed his eyes. There was no point in leaving them open any longer.


	25. Chapter 25: Hopelessness

-Chapter 25: Hopelessness-

Theora sat down at the table where her brother Shawn worked. She needed to talk to him badly. She'd been up all night trying to figure out how to save Bryce from an undeserved execution. Bryce was only sixteen! His seventeenth birthday was only a few days away and he was never going to see it. As it stood, there was barely three and a half hours left for them to find a way to save Bryce.

She ordered a Blizzard. When it arrived, she twirled the mixing straw with her fingers, but did not drink. Her mind was on a much more important subject: her friend was about to die.

Shawn saw her sitting there as he passed the next row of tables with a tray. Passing the food around to the family at one of the tables, he brought the tray back into the kitchen. When he came back out, he sat down across from Theora.

"That's not Happy Theora I see," he remarked.

"No, it isn't," Theora agreed.

"You look like you just lost your best friend," Shawn told her.

"I'm about it,"

Shawn raised an eyebrow. "Tell me what happened."

"My best friend. Well one of my best friends. Bryce Lynch. Tried for murder on Network 66. According to the paperwork I've been going through ninety percent of the viewers found him guilty. How can you find a rape victim guilty of murder when it was a clear case of self-defense?"

"Ninety? That can't be right. You're talking about "In Your Court" right?"

"Don't tell me you watch that!"

"We switch to it right after "You The Jury" on Network 23," Shawn explained. "Winnie's a sucker for court shows. I know we voted 'Not Guilty' as did most of our friends. When Winnie saw what that man did to that kid! She looked like she wanted to jump through the set and strangle him herself. I can't believe anyone would find that boy guilty. You ask me, I think someone screwed up the votes."

"I think so, too," Theora agreed. "And I have the feeling that it was done deliberately."

Edison hurried into the room. "They've moved up the execution," he told Theora, nodding quickly to acknowledge her brother. "We don't have three hours left." His voice dropped to a whisper. "We don't even have one."

"How can they change the time of the execution?!" Theora exclaimed. "It's on a scheduled program!"

"They claim they're doing a special program tonight which is preempting the normal time slot for "In Your Court"." Edison explained.

In the Board Room at Network 23, Cheviot was on the line to those who ran the Network courts. At this point, the conversation was seriously overheating.

"I don't have time for you to conduct an investigation!" He was screaming at them. "That kid is about to be executed in less than a hour simply because that network has a feud with ours!"

"It will take at least two hours before..."

Cheviot switched off the vu-phone. "Damn it!"

Checking the clock on the wall, he realized that Bryce had less than twenty minutes to live."


	26. Chapter 26: Racing Against Time

-Chapter 26: Racing Against Time-

Max Headroom wasn't ready to give up on trying to save Bryce. He could find no evidence of tampering regarding the show, however. No matter how he tried. There were no video drugs. No subliminal messages.

"I can't find anything," he told Edison. "The show is clean... technically speaking."

"What about the ads?" asked Edison's fellow reporter Janie Crane.

"The ads!" Theora exclaimed. "Max, check them quickly. Also, check "Porky's Landing" just before it."

Max checked the ads that had run on Network 66 at the time of the trial. Nothing unusual came up. Then he tried "Porky's Landing". As he ran it through a set of filters, they saw a display come up onto the screen during the times when Miss Jackson's character appeared on the screen.

"There!" Theora exclaimed. "Copy that and send it to Edison's camera!"

"What is it?" Murray asked.

"There was a subliminal message during Porky's Landing encouraging viewers to vote against Miss Jackson's clients on "In Your Court". Anyone who was already watching Network 66 had already decided on their verdict before the trial even started."

"We've got to bring this to Grossberg," Edison said. "Only he can order a stay of execution now!"

"Hurry, Edison," Theora begged. "You've got ten minutes!"

At Network 66, as Edison was racing to his rescue, Bryce was sitting on the edge of the cot, wiping an occasional tear from his face. "Be calm, Bryce," he told himself. "There is nothing to be gained from useless tears. You life is over and nothing is going to change that. In a few minutes they'll come in and kill you and that'll be that." But the tears refused to stop. He found himself wondering what method of execution the viewers had selected for him.

The door opened and closed again, letting in the briefest light before the darkness came again. Footsteps came toward him. Was it already time? A lamp was turned on and in its glow, Bryce could see the face of a middle-aged man.

The man looked at Bryce with sad eyes.

"Is it time?" Bryce asked him. "Did you come to kill me?"

The man nodded. "Yes it's time. But not here. You're to be brought before Judge Adams to hear your method of execution. Then it will be carried out in that place."

Bryce stood. "Let's go then," he said, grimly. "No point in putting it off."

The nameless man led him back out of the cell and back onto the set of "In Your Court" before departing and leaving him alone in the presence of the judge.

Judge Adams looked coldly at Bryce as the young genius stood alone before him.

"The audience has chosen that your execution be through suffocation, Your executioner will be Jack Randall."

A large man, who looked like he worked out nearly every day, stepped onto the platform where Bryce stood to a round of thunderous canned applause.

Bryce thought the applause was a bit much. They were about to murder him and it was being played up like it was a major sporting event. As he was thinking this, Jack Randall stood directly behind him. He pulled Bryce against him with one arm, holding him firmly in place. Then he clamped a hand over Bryce's mouth and nose, cutting off his air.

At the same time that Bryce had been led out of his cell, Edison was showing his evidence to Grossberg.

"This is a serious miscarriage of justice," Grossberg said as he got to his feet. "I'm coming with you. We have to stop this before it's too late."

The two raced to the lift and descended to the level where the execution was to take place.

Bryce felt his consciousness leaving him as Jack Randall continued to deprive him of oxygen. His vision grew cloudy and began to darken as his life slowly slipped away. He heard shouting as his consciousness left him for what he was certain was the last time. Then everything went black.


	27. Chapter 27: Tense Moments

-Chapter 27: Tense Moments-

It took three of Network 66's security guards to pry Bryce free of Jack Randall's grip. When he did, he crumpled to the floor in such a manner that Edison was convinced that Bryce had to be dead.

A sob of grief escaped from Edison as he raced over to the fallen teenager and scooped him up into his arms.

Grossberg glared angrily in the direction of the guards. "Get him out of here," he growled fiercely. "Put him in the same cell they locked Bryce in and don't let him out until the Metrocops get here. Judge Adams, too."

Grossberg turned to face Edison. "None of this was with my consent," he said. "You have to know that. Bryce was my favorite employee when I ran Network 23. I'd never do anything to harm him!

Edison was stroking Bryce's hair, absently as he sat on the floor, still cradling him, not hearing or caring about anything else.

"You can't be dead," he whispered, as tears ran down his face. "You simply can't be. Not when your life was just beginning. Not now. Not now."

Theora wiped the tears from her eyes as she watched the drama unfold on her control screen. She couldn't believe that all their efforts to save Bryce had been for nothing! Murray put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she didn't think anyone could comfort her now. She looked up to say something and saw that there were tears in his eyes, also.

None of them knew how long they remained like that, all too griefstricken to move. Their voices failed them as they listened to the cold silence that seemed to drag on forever.

Each of them was lost in his or her own thoughts.

Grossberg felt as if a thousand ton weight of guilt had been tied around his neck; one which he was sure would never be lightened. He remembered when he had hired Bryce to work at Network 23. The boy had been twelve years old, his eyes filled with joy and wonder as he looked over the Network's Research and Development lab and all its computers. It was a look that was full of life and possibilities. That had been only four years ago, and now...

Edison thought back to his first encounter with Bryce. To the moment he had broken into the boy's studio for the second time, through the ventilation shaft in the ceiling. That had been when Bryce had introduced him to Max Headroom, whom Bryce had created out of Edison's mind and memories.

Theora also thought back to that time, recalling the cyber-duel she'd fought with Bryce that had led to Edison's accident and Max's creation. Despite the fact that her reporter had gotten hurt as a result of it, she found herself admiring Bryce's skill with any computer system. It had been a blessing to the team that he had chosen to work with them when push came to shove. She doubted the team would ever recover from this loss.

Max could be heard on a small screen in the corner trying to work out a eulogy. He was glitching worse than ever, especially when he tried to say Bryce's name. Occasionally words and phrases like "scumbag" and "kill the judge" came vehemently from his computer-generated lips

"Edison?"

Edison, as well as everyone else who heard that one word, felt as if their own hearts had stopped and had suddenly started again.

"Bryce?!" Edison pulled back to look at Bryce, making sure he wasn't hallucinating.

Bryce was looking at him as if he'd just woken from a long sleep.

"Thank God!" Edison said, pulling Bryce back into his arms and rocking him in a display of gratitude

At the control room, the tears of grief that Murray and Theora had been shedding turned to tears of joy at the knowledge that their young friend still lived.

Max's image flitted about on his screen, seeming to do a little jig, which brought a tired smile to Bryce's face.

"We'll work out where you're going to live tomorrow," Edison told Bryce as he helped him to his feet. "For tonight, you're staying at my place."


	28. Chapter 28: Epilogue - 15 Years Later

Epilogue: 15 Years Later-

Fraternal twins stood on the steps of the Academy of Computer Sciences with their mother and father and little sister, who was two years younger than they.

The boy had mousy brown hair like his father's which stuck out in random directions unlike that of his parents, which was neatly combed. Hs sister's hair was jet black, something she had inherited from her great granndmother on her father's side and her eyes were a deep brown which came from her maternal grandfather.

"Brandon, Janine? Are you almost ready?" Bryce asked.

"Yes," the twins chorused. "When are they going to get here?"

"Here they are," Alison Lynch pointed toward two couples who were running from the car park.

"Sorry we're late," Edison said as he arrived with his wife, Janie. It had been Theora's idea for the two reporters to start dating since they shared at least a job in common. With them was their daughter Madison. She had blond hair, brushed backwards and rich blue eyes.

"I know," she told Bryce. "I look like Max Headroom. Blame my father for that."

"Her mother wanted to call her Maxine when she was born," Edison groaned, causing Madison to stick her tongue out at Janie.

Theora herself had married her stud, Ted who had opted to take her name. They were now stepping out of their car with their daughter, Bryce Jones. The girl, brilliant as her namesake, had flame red and gold hair, pulled into a high fanned ponytail, and grey eyes.

Janine wiped her spectacles. "Can we go in now?" she asked, impatiently.

"How come I can't go?" the littlest Lynch asked, tears welling up in her Alice-blue eyes as she played with her mousy-brown ringlets cascaded over her shoulders.

Bryce smiled at his little girl. "We all have our talents," he told her. "You're a genius like your brother and sister, but your strengths lie in music and singing."

"I wanted you to be proud of me,"

"I am proud of you, Amanda," Bryce told her. "And so is your mom. Miss Morgan says you're doing very well on your music lessons. Though I admit, I'm not sure why you picked sitar."

"It was good enough for the Beatles," Amanda pointed out.

"Let's go!" Brandon reiterated.

"Okay," Bryce agreed as he reached for the door.

As he turned the handle, he thought to himself. 'This is going to give my old SysOp a bit of a shock.'


End file.
